Knitting-machine cam mechanism



(No Model.) Y K l KNITTING MACHINE GAM MEGHANISM.

N6. 666,619. Patented 116g. 1 8, 1896.

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Witwe/aow A UNITED STATES- PATENT UFFICI-2'.

l JOEL WV. RIS'IQ OEGHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS."

KNlTTlNG-MACHINE 'CAM MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming" part of Letters Patent N0. 566,019, dated August 18, 1896. Y Application filed November 5, 1895. Serial No. 568,028. (No model.)

straight-knitting machine having my invention applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a view of the same as seen from the opposite side.

My invention relates to that class of knitting-machine which is provided with a lockplate to -which are secured actuating-cams adapted to operate in the plane of the face of the plate and acting against the shanks of a series of needles to slide them up and down in the grooves. In this class of machine there is provided an alternative passage for the shanks of the needles, so that while the shanks of the needles will be operated upon by the wing-cams while the plate moves in both directions, if desired, the traverse will be changed if the shifting-lever be moved and the shanks be directed through anotherpassage without engagement with the wing-cams. There are also provided springactuated latches, one of which normally closes the passage into the wing-cams while leaving the alternative passage open to the needleshanks, while the other closes the latter passage while leaving the former freely open. Either latch can be moved aside bythe needleshanks in leaving the passage through which it has been traveling. The pivots of these latches by continued wear are apt to become loose.

It has therefore been one of the objects of my invention to so construct the latches and the parts sustaining the same that the relative position of said latch, when so situated as to actuate the needle-shanks, shall be invariable,notwithstanding any looseness of the pivots of the shanks, and that the strain of the pressure from the needle-shanks shall be removed from said pivots.

A further object has been to so conform the faces of the latches that when said latches are pushed aside by said needles and while the shank of each needle is leaving said latch, as aforesaid, the latch shall bc held up by the needle-shanks succeeding the one leaving the latch, whereby the .snapping back of the latch and consequent disagreeable clicking noise and wear attendant upon prior constructions of this class will be avoided.

In the drawings, @indicates the plate, upon which are fixedly secured the wing-cams b and b and the iirst-elevation cam j. d and eare latches pivoted at g and actuated by springs hh. f is ashifting-lever, which is arranged to actuate lthe latch e from a position closing the passage by the wing-cam, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to a position closing the passage along the first-elevation cam,as shown in full lines in the same ligure. isa bowed spring securedto the plate at one end,the other end passing under an arm of the lever j and resting on the plate so as to be compressed when the lever is vibrated, thereby holding the lever in position.

Thus far the description is equally applicable to'devices in this class of machine existing prior to my invention.

I will now proceed to describe more particularly the features wherein my improvements reside.

c is an ab utment-block xedly secured to the plate d, having two edges c c2 opposite to the latches d eand wing-cams b b' and an edge ea opposite to the first-elevation cam j. The inner side of each latch has an edge arranged to lie against the corresponding edges c c2 of the block c, an outstanding portion forming a rentrant angle, and adapted to lie against the termin al portionl of the edge c3, and a heel 7c running from thence to the point of the latch.

By providing the abutment-block cfor both latches engaging the corners of the block the result is attained that perfect rigidity and unmovability of the latch are insured when it is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. l, notwithstanding any looseness which the latch may have on its pivot.

Without this construction or its equivalent itis apparent that looseness of the pivot will IOO give rise to a slight movement of the latch along the first-elevation cam when it is pressed upon at the side opposite to the wing-cam. My improved construction therefore removes this defect and provides a latch which shall be invariably and immovably in the desired position.

A further improvement consists in providing the heel 7c of either latch with a gradual curve whereby the inner portion, when the latch is closed, is drawn away from the cam j, so as to provide easy entrance for the needle- Shanks into the terminalportion of the passage along the cam j, while the outer portion, when the latch is open, is substantially parallel to the end of the cam, the effect of which is that while the needleshanks are passing out of the channel between the cam j and the heel k of the latch said latch is maintained at auniform height by the succeeding shanks which are approaching the end of the passage. Thus I avoid the snapping back and clicking noise and the wear at the point of the latch which accompany existing devices of this general construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a knitting-machine cam mechanism, the combination with the lock-plate a, the wing-cams l) b' mounted thereon, the first-elevation cam j, and the latches d e pivotally mounted on the plate, of the block c mounted on the plate between the latches haviiiig three latch will be held firmly in its closed position independently of its pivot, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine cam mechanism, the combination, with the lock-plate d the wing-cams b b mounted thereon, the first-elevation cam j, and the latches d e, pivotally mounted on the plate, of the block c mounted on the plate between the latches, having three faces opposite to said cams j, b, b', respectively, and serving as an abutment-block for both latches, said latches having heels 7n, the lower or outer portion of said heels being conformed so as to be substantially parallel with the terminal portions of the cam j, so as to provide a channel of substantially uniform width at the ends, while the upper or inner portion of the heels is c urved or directed away from said cam so as to facilitate the entrance of the needle-Shanks into the ends of the channel from the middle thereof, substantially as described.

JOEL lV. BIST. 

